Best Laid Plans
by NerdyGerl
Summary: My entry for the Late September Bonesology: Complete this Sentence Challenge.  In which Angela throws a party, just not the party that she expected.


Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, but I am obsessed.

Author's Note: I'm a little late to the party with this one, but it's been on my computer for awhile, and it needed to be posted. So here it is. Enjoy.

Best Laid Plans

Catching the smile thrown her way as she entered, Angela smoothed her skirt, took a deep breath and walked to her friend's table. Seeing a large bag sitting on its polished surface, Angela set her own brightly wrapped box down.

"Sorry I'm late, Cam. Michael wouldn't go down for his nap and Jack was being Jack."

As usual, Cam cut straight to the point, "Totally freaking out about his inability to calm a screaming baby?"

Angela let out a hearty laugh. "You know it. I keep telling him 'if you are calm, Michael will calm down. Just relax.' Then he just throws me a glare and the baby will scream even harder. They're exhausting sometimes."

Cam smiled, "But totally worth it."

"Yes. That's it exactly." Angela looked around the Founding Fathers. "So we're the only ones here? I thought that everyone else would already be here, including the guest of honor."

Cam glanced at her watch. "I told Brennan to meet us here half an hour after everyone else, since it's her surprise party. And now that you're here, everyone else is just Daisy. And, we had to invite her. She overheard us talking. I just hope she didn't ruin the surprise."

Angela rolled her head around her neck. "She might have, you could have heard her in space. Dear God, the squealing. I still think that my hearing is damaged. I was standing way too close to her."

A waitress came by to take Angela's drink order and the two women sat in comfortable silence. Adding sweetener to her iced tea once it arrived, Angela swept her eyes once again around the room. "It's a rather unconventional place for a baby shower."

"Does Brennan ever do anything the conventional way?"

Angela tipped her head in agreement, "Good point. But shouldn't we have gotten streamers or balloons or something? I feel like a terrible best friend. This party should be huge, there should be stupid games and pastel everywhere, we've just all been so busy with colicky babies and teenagers in crisis, and work, there wasn't time for anything else. It's just us, at the Founding Fathers. You know, where we used to come to drink after closing a murder case? It doesn't scream baby to me."

"Well, I did bring a cake. And it was a place to meet that wouldn't make Brennan suspicious. We were going for stealth here."

Angela frowned, "I know. I just wanted it to be a bigger deal. Booth and Brennan are together and having a baby. This is the best thing that's ever happened to my best friend, I just want her to know that we are excited for her."

"She knows, Angela. And this is all she wants, even if she won't come out and say it. She said that she didn't even want a shower."

"I know. She said that she and Booth can provide everything that their child needs, and that gifts are unnecessary."

"Did you try explaining to her that it is a social custom and try to explain its cultural significance? Appeal to her logic?"

"I tried, she didn't buy it. I think that her logic has been affected by her hormones."

"And you think her hormones would make her all mushy and they didn't. She really doesn't do anything the conventional way does she? Don't worry about it, Ange. We're just having a little get-together, with presents for the baby. Low-key, low stress. We're giving her our support and love. So what if it's simple? It's enough."

"Thanks, Cam." Angela sighed. Cam reached out and patted her hand, giving her a little more encouragement. Angela silently munched on some bread that the waitress brought by, still feeling inadequate. She pinched her eyes shut as she heard Daisy's enthusiastic entrance. The woman had barely fit through the door, carrying a gigantic item, wrapped in a white garbage bag, decorated heavily with pastel ribbons and bows.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late. I had to take a cab, and Mr. Bear here isn't very easy to transport."

Cam eyed the garish package and addressed the intern, "Mr. Bear?"

"I found the cutest stuffed bear and I couldn't resist. I had one just like it when I was a kid, and I loved to take a storybook and just sit in his lap and read. And this one has this adorable vest and bow-tie. I hope Dr. Brennan likes it. It will be perfect for the nursery."

Cam and Angela pressed their lips together, attempting to stifle their laughter, finding mild success. Cam recovered first. "I'm sure she will Daisy, why don't you set it over here and take a seat. We're just waiting on Dr. Brennan now. She should be here any minute."

Daisy's smile faltered a bit, "That's it?" Angela glared at her, and Cam rolled her eyes. Daisy gulped and perked up again, "I'm sure Dr. Brennan will love it."

The guest of honor finally entered into the bar. Seeing her colleagues and the packages surrounding them, she waved and rushed as fast as she could to the table.

Daisy squeaked out a high-pitched "Surprise!" Which was chorused more meekly by Cam and Angela.

Brennan nodded at her companions as she took her seat at the table. Daisy couldn't help herself. "Dr. Brennan! You're here! Welcome! Are you surprised?"

"Yes, of course I was. I wasn't expecting it." Her tone of voice did not exactly match her words, but Angela chose not to fight it. Brennan seemed pleased, and that was all that mattered.

The women made small talk about the baby and Brennan and Booth's plans for the near future. They ordered lunch and enjoyed their time away from the lab, relaxing together. When Brennan excused herself to the restroom, the other three women decided that when Brennan returned it was present time, causing Daisy to once again squeal in excitement as Cam tried to belatedly protect her hearing.

The swinging of the door caught Angela's attention and she found herself staring at Caroline Julian, holding a pastel pink box. Brennan chose that moment to return from her trip and tapped the prosecutor on the shoulder. Caroline turned, smiled and tossed the box at Brennan who caught it deftly and set it on the table as she once again found her seat.

Caroline towered over the table, eyeing Angela and Cam. "Nice of you to send me an invitation to the shower. I like babies you know, I'm just as soft and cuddly as the rest of you all."

Angela and Cam looked at Caroline, feeling rebuked. How could they have forgotten to invite her? Angela cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, Caroline. We should have invited you."

Cam raised an eyebrow, "How exactly did you find out about this?"

"Dr. Brennan here invited me."

Cam's eyebrow arched even higher, "Dr. Brennan invited you to her own surprise baby shower?"

"Imagine _my surprise_ when she told me that she hoped that I could make it today, and I had no clue what she was talking about. But, I swallowed my pride, forgave your rudeness, and here I am. Is it too late to order a bowl of soup?"

Cam shared a look with Angela, "Of course not, Caroline. Thank you for joining us, and welcome."

Caroline gave a saccharine smile and seated herself beside Brennan, placing a hand over the swollen abdomen and cooing over the new arrival. It was an even stranger look that Cam and Angela shared as the acerbic prosecutor turned into a pile of goo.

The door to the Founding Fathers opened again and a nervous looking Genevieve Shaw walked in swinging a small gift bag and holding a few helium filled balloons.

It was Brennan that greeted the woman, "Agent Shaw, I'm glad that you could make it."

The woman blushed and added her present to the pile. Taking a moment to tie the balloons to a chair, she addressed the group. "I hope that it's OK that I'm here. Agent Booth told me it was the more the merrier."

Angela smiled at the woman, as she found another chair and indicated that the agent should take a seat at the already over-crowded table. Gen was soon engaged in conversation with Daisy and visibly relaxed as she was welcomed into the group. Seeing that everyone was getting along, the artist turned to the pathologist "So Booth knew about this too?"

Cam shrugged, "Well if Brennan knew, then Booth knew."

"Who else did she tell?" As if on cue, the front door opened again and a small group entered. Two girls were rushing to the table calling for their Aunt Tempe as two other women walked slowly to the table. "Is that Amy and Margaret?"

Cam's mouth dropped again. "I do believe it is. Who invited them?"

There was a unison response of "Max," and the two women could do nothing but laugh at the situation.

Cam's eyebrow once again quirked as Brennan greeted her family, "So, I think that Brennan may have actually understood the anthropological impact of a baby shower."

Angela agreed, "Yeah, so much for denying that she even wanted one. I think that we're going to need a bigger table."

"Forget that. We're going to need a bigger cake."


End file.
